Eater Young Gun Julia Momose is Leaving GreenRiver

A 2016 Eater Young Gun is on the move as GreenRiver—the esteemed Streeterville cocktail bar and Michelin-starred restaurant from Danny Meyer’s (Shake Shack) acclaimed Union Square Hospitality Group—is losing a key ingredient to its success. Head bartender Julia Momose is leaving at the end of the year, management confirmed. Momose, one of the buzziest bartenders in the country, created the drinks at GreenRiver and its companion lounge, The Annex.

“We are grateful for the passion and leadership that Julia brought to GreenRiver that has played an integral role in the overall success of the restaurant in our first year,” Union Square chief restaurant officer Sabato Sagaria said in a statement. ”In addition to creating a world class bar program, she also built a world class team that will continue to help us raise the bar in all that we do at GreenRiver.”

Momose didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment, so what she does next is unknown. She announced the news on Friday via Facebook, which was first reported in the Tribune. The paper speculated Momose could be opening her own bar. She mentioned in her post (see below) that she had a “a dream” and was “going to chase it.”

Momose has been onboard since GreenRiver opened in 2015. She came over from The Office, the basement bar that complements the Alinea Group’s fancy cocktail spot, The Aviary on Fulton Market. This story will be updated if Momose provides further details.

UPDATE: Momose texted to say that her last day is Wednesday, Dec. 28, and that she’s not ready to share details yet because “everything needs to be just so.” Stay tuned.